:Standard Disclaimer Goes Here:
Okay, well this is my first posted story. And ...er...right. So if you like Pina Coladas or enjoy looking for your salt shaker in Margaritaville then I guess you may enjoy this story...even though it has nothing to do with alcohol...unless I get an overwhelming amount of people asking me to add it. It would be fun to write a drunk dbz episode....hmm. Gohan would make cupcakes in a pink frilly apron and Videl...well maybe the beer would end her everlasting PMS, but unless Gohan's cupcakes find a way to ebb her hangover...that poor boy is doomed...
Now the beginning might be a little slow because I have to get through all the background info...note the 'might'. You never know what people find excited these days. Oh well. As the Beatles said Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da life goes on.
I really am trying to do something really unique. I have been juggling a few other ideas around in my head that I may write about later, but this one seemed to be the most far fetched one without totally destroying the Dragon Ball Z plot.
*chuckle* My sister who knows nothing about anime saw me playing the Second Budokai video game and looked that the cover and said (she's like 21 by the way) "Dragonballs? What the hell?"She thought it was cartoon porn. I just laughed and then died horribly due to my lack of skill in that game. It's more fun to just mash buttons and win because of it.
Okay well...let's begin the story ...shall we?
~*~
Ambience
by Deli
I've been wandering around this desolate world for some time lately, and although I know you have no reason to send a care towards me, I shall tell you why regardless.
Now, I have been merely traveling for three years with no final destination in mind. I go where I choose whether it benefits me or not. My future does not concern me, nor does my past. My purpose, then, is non-existent (or so it would be logical to think). I figure that if I reside in one area for too long, I shall become attached, and I can not afford to do such a thing.
Now do not mis-interpret my behavior. I am not avoiding responsibility. I am not depressed. I do not have Alzheimer disease. I am merely unsatisfied with what life has given me.
You my be curious as to what desolate world I spoke of. It is not your world. It is not your time. That fact may cause you to turn with disapproval, or, as I hope, cause you to continue. Those of you who disapproved, do not be hasty with your decision for I may end up satisfying your imaginations.
As you may or may not know, I myself, am not accustomed to change as you might be. Nevertheless, I have had my fair share of extraordinary events. The story I am about to tell you, however, is not one of those happenings. To tell you the truth, it hasn't even occurred yet.
Now I bet that statement surprised you.
See now the I am no prophet, I am no fortune teller, and I have not been enlightened by a higher being. I am no more talented than anyone else at any one thing. Well, at least I wish I was.
I do have my talents, none of which I am proud of.
I would not mind simply being part of an endless cycle of happiness, but what I do mind is what I have been forced to endure. An constant life of pain, agony, and humiliation. That is why I travel. I am running. I have no care of what will happen tomorrow or what happened yesterday. I have not plan in life but to stay alive and away from them.
The Ambience as they liked to be called.
They have been on my planet for as long as I can remember. They are not merely other beings that you may war with, their power is far too unrelenting. It's not physical, elemental, or bodily energy. It's this mental power that is impossible to comprehend. Don't think that they have the power to read minds or know where someone is within seconds by reading their spirit, but what they are able to do is scary nonetheless.
But I have hope. Change. I know something is brimming on the edge of time, just waiting to happen. I can feel it calling to me. I can smell it. Well, I can't literally smell it, but the feeling is most definitely there. You might be thinking, "How can you possibly feel change?" as I would be if I were you. Well, allow me to say it this way. Though try as I might to accept my fate, the routine of torment surrounded me. I did what I could to change myself so I would useless in their eyes, but for all my years I failed. 'Sameness' was a sort of disease, infecting me from inside and out. It carried on without finding a 'cure'.
So to answer you, I feel change by feeling different, almost better. Although you may roll your eyes at such a statement, this revelation is huge for me.
This feeling of difference I have shared with no one for I am fearful of what might become of me. Is this feeling an ugly omen pressuring me to pack up my belongings and continue my pointless trekking and hiding? I can only hope not.
~*~
The sky was blue. The sun was red. The Earth was dry. Rocks, dust and nothing else. No vegetation, no people, no life, except for me that is. I walked through this molten hot valley hoping that the grass was greener on the other side... if there was any.
This place was always part of the traveling. They played a cruel prank, always. That's why people never moved away from their homes. I guess 'The Ambience' saw it humorous to put us through such challenges.
Their voices ran through my head, "You must go through nothing to get to something, my dear, but even if you do accomplish something you get nothing."
The challenges are always different. Last time a blizzard appeared before my eyes once I stepped from city limits. Oh, and do keep in mind that these climates do not actually exist.
Years ago, to prevent 'hostile relations' and 'unwanted bloodshed' the cities were placed within fancy force-fields while the outside world was created to become a mind game.
People were free to come and go as they pleased, it's just that no one wanted to.
The Game can not effect the body itself, only your surroundings, so as long as you have a map an other necessities, the journey was not difficult. It was the Game that was grueling.
If you survive the game, you receive your reward which is your destination.
The Ambience has a very sick sense of humor.
My throat was parched, but I knew I only had a few more miles to go. My optimism grew slightly because I felt my destination would give me what I have been hoping for.
Change.
I don't know in what form change may appear to me, but I'll know it when I see it. I think.
As if they were there the entire time, mountains appeared before my eyes. They were tall and unusually moist for appearing in a desert, but that was the Game. My few miles escalated into at least six more hours of traveling.
I was ticked.
The monstrous monuments cast a shadow over my body as I drew closer. This shadow did nothing is omit the heat, but something chilled me nonetheless. Something was coming. The Game wanted me to know.
I had no choice to continue on because whether I stood there or kept putting one foot in front of the other, I'd have to fight.
The elevation began to grow and the desert became almost non existent. The air was thick and moist, the ground soggy. Trees eventually formed along the winding pathway that I felt obligated to follow.
If the Game wanted a fight, it will get a fight, even if I didn't take the path. I was tense, so I forced myself to slow my breathing. I mustn't be tense and superficial in my conclusions. I have to stay clam and loose.
The smell was almost musty as I allowed I to sit inside my lungs.
Decaying ferns and leaves crunched under my feet.
I knew immediately the smell was not brought forth by these dead plants.
I stoppe and listened.
One unknown rule of the Game is that you are not allowed to carry weapons. The Ambience enjoy watching a good struggle.
Long ago, though, I figured out a way around that rule. That knowledge helped free me, and I have to be quick to stay free, however the being designated to fight me seemed to be hesitating.
I will have to draw it out.
I began walking once more looking only forward, but listening intently.
It was following.
I suddenly felt uneasy. The reason why I do not know. Something was just not right.
What if I stayed to long in the Game? What if they had found me?
I quickened my pace.
The sudden uneasiness grew and grew, escalating into fear. Perspiration dampened my face causing my hair to cling tightly.
It was close now. Too close. I abruptly stopped, turned, and threw a random kick that luckily connected with something.
It tumbled to the ground, but then stood and glared at me.
A Manakin, the work horses of the Ambience.
"It's about time you came with me, missy. Wouldn't you say?" it said getting low to prepare to attack.
Unlike the main Congress of Ambience, Manakins have no mental capabilities. Instead they were bread to have strong physical attacks that can leave me torn to pieces.
Now isn't that a lovely thought.
"Jackass," I said under my breath.
"Feisty are we?"
"No," I extended my arms, "it's just the wrong time of the month."
I screamed and looked up to the sky. A light began to glow from my hand as a horrible pain shot up through my torso and into my arm.
The light grew and then a blade quickly popped out through my wrist. Blood sprayed the nearby trees.
The blade grew, becoming four feet in length, before a handle was finally produced. I then relaxed my arms and held the sword by my side, blood dripping from the blade.
The Manakin's eyes grew as I scowled.
"Surprised?" I asked.
Within the blink of an eye I had moved in front of him and swung. It brought up it's armored arm and blocked my swing with little difficulty. Before I retracted for another swing, I kicked his torso, my knee burning on impact.
As I staggered backward it swung at me, it's arm gleaming like fire. Luckily a root of a nearby tree snagged my foot causing me to fall under his attack.
The follow-through of its attack not hitting my face resulted in the Manakin becoming off balance. I took my chance and swung at his bicep while I still sat on the ground.
The arm fell to the earth and rolled almost ten feet.
The Manikin screamed.
I stood and moved a good distance away, recovering once more into a fighting stance. Once one arm was gone, I knew I could win.
The Manakin chuckled. It stood erect and let out a dreadful shout. From the depths of it's wound emanated another arm.
Mockingly it said, "Surprised?"
Oh shit.
"Deo Decora!" I yelled as I swung my sword violently. A strong blade of wind shot forth knocking it back slightly. I shot forward and pretended to swing, but at the last moment I picked up my knee and smacked it in the head.
The Manakin quickly regained it's composure and through it's own barrage of attacks my way. I ducked and slid and jumped, avoiding the attacks at all costs.
Finally I got an idea in sprang myself up onto a branch. It looked up at me and prepared to come after me.
"Tokke Moni!" A storm of pink and white blossoms erupted from my outstretched weapon.
It laughed. "You think you're going to defeat me with flowers?"
The blossoms caused me to lose sight of it, meaning it could not see me either. The blizzard was blinding, but I still knew which way was up. I jumped high into the air from the tree and yelled, "Sun Slash!"
I erupted from the blossom storm as my sword ignited into flames. I held it high and slashed the air. Fire burst from the blade and soon engulfed the blossoms in flame.
The fire burned wildly, rapidly catching every pedal and turning it to ashes.
From my view in the air, I could not see the Manakin. I was slightly relieved, but for some reason I did not believe I had won the Game yet.
Eventually the angle of my jump carried me a good distance away from the inferno by the time I landed. I turned and ran.
If that didn't kill it, I didn't know what would.